Blog

SNAP Twitter Feed

View Videos of the SNAP To Health Capitol Hill Briefing

Are you interested in learning more about what was discussed at the recent SNAP To Health Capitol Hill Briefing? The forum held on July 18th, 2012 convened leading public health and nutrition experts to discuss innovative strategies to reduce food insecurity, prevent obesity and improve the health of low income people in the United States, especially during these challenging times when 1 out of 6 Americans experience food insecurity and when 67% of the US population are overweight or obese. SNAP (The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is a $75.6 billion Federal food assistance program that provides an important safety net for low-income Americans.

Videos of presentations at the briefing are now available on the SNAP To Health website in the Media tab (under Capitol Hill Briefings). You can view the opening remarks and learn about the project’s ten key policy recommendations presented by Susan Blumenthal, M.D., the SNAP To Health Project Director and Former Assistant Surgeon General of the United States. Her remarks are followed by legislative perspectives from The Honorable Ron Wyden (Senate-Oregon), The Honorable Saxby Chambliss (Senate – Georgia) and The Honorable Rosa DeLauro (U.S. House of Representatives – Connecticut). Then Walter Willet, M.D., Chairman and Professor, Department of Nutrition, at the Harvard School of Public Health speaks on strategies to strengthen nutrition and prevent obesity in SNAP.

The Farm Bill, the legislation that funds federal food assistance programs including SNAP, expired on September 30th and its reauthorization will be addressed by the Congress when it reconvenes in November after the Presidential elections. Considering that 46.7 million people received SNAP benefits in June 2012, promoting healthy eating and preventing obesity among SNAP recipients is critical. SNAP provides a major opportunity to positively impact the health of 1 out of 7 Americans.

This website is a project of New America supported by a grant from the Aetna Foundation. It was originally developed at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC). The views presented here are not necessarily those of New America, the Aetna Foundation, CSPC, or their trustees, officers, or staff.